Bobwhite Reintroduction!

[J. A. EARLY]

Don't know why they would trap wild ones in Virginia. I think they trapped the last ones. Send them back!

[ahfoxman]

Good Morning Mike and followers,

They should check out the Pine Barron's and below in Jersey to see if any Jersey Bob's have survived. Hunted them before, after, and while stationed on Macquire AFB, and they were at least 50% larger than the ones here in Pa. and W. Va. back then. I also hunted the Barron's for grouse, but I understand they are now long gone, Sad! I had/have a Savage 20ga 28" Ejector Sterlingworth that was choked tighter than a frog's butt, (and that's H20 proof) that I kept locked in the office at maintenance shop. Wow, try that today. I used to hunt with the Sarge and most times it was in his trailer out in Browns Mills. I hope our memories are connected to our soul, if so, then I will have lots to keep me entertained in the hereafter. The last wild quail here in Eastern Pa. were along the RR on/in the old abandoned farms behind the tank farms, friends have told me that they survived into the 90s out in your area?? I used to run/train the dogs without shooting them towards the end, which was back in the 70s. Enough BS for now, Take Care, and All the Best to Everyone. Remember, Life is Good, Treat it with Respect! Tom

[John Davis]

Originally Posted by Jerry Harlow

Don't know why they would trap wild ones in Virginia. I think they trapped the last ones. Send them back!

Glad they didn’t take any Georgia bob whites. We ain’t got any to spare.

[mobirdhunter]

Good luck with your State’s quail reintroduction. We spent years and traded wild turkeys for grouse here in Missouri only to have the Conservation Department abandon its habitat management in our area (I believe because hunters found them too hard to hunt). There are still grouse along the Missouri River, but not enough to support hunting. Unless there’s a landscape level habitat management plan, chances of survival are slim.

But there’s nothing quite like hunting wild Bobs in your own backyard!

[ArtS]

Originally Posted by Jerry Harlow

Don't know why they would trap wild ones in Virginia. I think they trapped the last ones. Send them back!

I too am surprised. Quail, in my mind, are an endagered species in Kentucky.
When I ws young, they were everywhere and could be hunted without a dog. They fell prey to modern farming practices and are very hard to even see now. If you have a covey of any kind it is a miracle.

Kentucky has been a part of several reintroduction programs which have been amazingly successful. The two recent(?) ones were wild turkey and elk.

The turkeys were largely due to a trade with Missouri; turkeys for river otter. We went from no turkey to flocks so large they feed and roost in our back yard. This was aided by the fact that we have vast areas of agriculture bordered by heavily masted woodlands.

Elk have been reintroduced over the last several years to former areas of reclaimed strip mines surrounded by native woodlands and low human populations. It has been so successful that very successful hunting seasons allow even out of state tags (too many due to state quest for revenue) and a significant tourist flow. Many don't realize that elk are actually a plains animal that took to the mountains due to human pressure. The "deer" that were a big draw to native americans and the pioneers were actually elk to a large extent. The reintroduction was truly that. In the same way, it was successful due to habitat shifts which mirrored their former condition. Deer were formerly plentiful but by the early 60's had all but disappeared over most of the state. While not introduced, they gradually repopulated themselves from southern Ohio, Indiana and Illinois to the point that they are almost a nuisance.

Don't hold out much hope on a system of release to have much affect. Habitat management is the only thing that will work. Quail require food, water and shelter within a home radius which is, I believe, the smallest of any of the game birds. Unless the habitat exists, there is little chance of success. Nature is resilient. If the habitat is provided, then a small reintroduction can have a big effect.